LOGINBen looked at me like the words had altered the air in the room."You," I had said. Nothing more. His eyes moved over my face, searching for hesitation, for the moment I might take it back. When he did not find it, something in him loosened and tightened at the same time."Me?" he said like he wouldn't believe I would choose him He kissed me hard.There was no careful testing left in it. His mouth opened against mine, one hand gripping the back of my neck, the other sliding down my spine and pulling me flush against him. I felt the full length of his body, the heat of him, the controlled strength that was no longer interested in staying controlled. My fingers went to the buttons of his shirt. I worked them open while we kissed, pushed the fabric off his shoulders, and set my palms on bare skin. He made a low sound into my mouth."I want you," he said against my lips. "I've wanted you so long I fear I am losing my mind." He drew back just enough to meet my eyes. "I love you."I did n
"I will be back tomorrow, don't wait up" Sam left a message with the staff.He didn't even say if it was about a late meeting. Do not wait up. I wasn't going to wait.The kind of notice he gave when he wanted the house empty of questions. By early evening the main rooms were quiet and the only sounds left were the ones the building made on its own.I was in my room with the door unlocked when the knock came. Not a staff knock.I opened it."Ben?" I was surprised.Ben stood in the hallway with his jacket still on and his shoulders set too tightly. He looked like he had driven here without deciding what he would say when he arrived. For a moment neither of us spoke. Just awkward stares."You didn't answer," he said."I didn't want to."He stepped inside when I moved aside. I closed the door. The click of it sounded too loud as if the whole Mansion would know he was in my room. Ben stayed near the entrance, as if crossing further into the room would require permission he had not earne
I ignored the first three calls.Ben's name lit the screen, then vanished, then appeared again. Each time I turned the phone face down and kept working. I know Ben. He wouldn't suggest his brother marry me and still pursue me. We kissed. We held each other. We...we...are more than that!The doubt Sam had planted the night before sat in my chest like something swallowed and not yet digested. *Failed prank. Payback. Who do you think told me to marry you?* I could not answer any of it, so I answered none of the calls.This gutted feeling, Like Ben had physically stepped on my heart. My chest tightened, my breath heaved and I couldn't bring it out. The tears threatening to fall out were just too hard to explain.I haven't felt this way in my entire life.By late morning the studio felt too small. I needed to be somewhere that required movement and paperwork instead of thoughts. The collaboration files were still incomplete; there were signatures and approvals that had to be handled at t
Saturday began with Sam already in the house.He worked from home again. The sound of his voice on calls drifted through the halls, and every time I passed an open doorway his eyes followed me. By mid-morning the comments had started-quiet, pointed remarks about how calm I seemed, how often my phone lit up, how strange it was that people had begun pairing my name with his brother's in the same breath.Was he expecting me to be hysterical? I did fire back at him a few days ago. I did not answer. I took coffee and a plate of food to the studio and locked the door.I stayed there through lunch.The space still smelled of turpentine and dust. I walked the length of it while I ate, measuring with my eyes. A toilet could go in the far corner. A narrow changing area beside it. A simple mattress for the nights the house felt impossible. The thought of making the room more completely mine settled somewhere under my ribs and stayed there, warm and private.I will soon have this place to myself
Two days of steady work passed before the message arrived.It was formal, the kind my parents still preferred. They wanted me at the house that afternoon. Not a request. I finished the section of the canvas I was working on, washed the paint from my hands, and went.The Angelov house looked exactly as it always had-manicured, impressive, indifferent. My mother received me in the sitting room she used for conversations that needed to stay controlled. My father stood near the window with a drink he did not touch."You asked for me," I said.My mother gestured to the chair across from her. "We need to discuss appearances. The collaboration has drawn attention. So has Danielle's birthday. People are watching how you carry yourself.""People have been watching since you sent me to replace Mara."The silence that followed was brief and brittle.My father spoke without turning. "You are part of both families now. That comes with responsibility.""You sold me into that responsibility."My mot
The door clicked shut behind Danielle.For a few seconds neither of us moved. The taste of the kiss was still in my mouth. Ben's breathing had not fully steadied. He looked at me like he was deciding whether to close the distance again or do the smarter thing."We have to go back," I said."I know."He dragged a hand down his face, then straightened his jacket. I smoothed my hair and checked my reflection in the dark glass of a cabinet. My mouth looked too soft. I pressed my lips together until the color evened out.Ben opened the door.The noise of the party hit us at once. Music, conversation, crystal. We stepped into the hallway a careful distance apart. Danielle was already across the room, speaking to someone near the entrance with the focused expression she wore when she was fixing a problem. Sam's gaze found us within seconds. Something in his posture sharpened, then smoothed over.I took a glass I did not want from a passing tray and kept moving.The air inside eventually beca







